Free Driving Course Teaches Teens Key Skills

March 16, 2017

Just because a new driver gets their license, it doesn’t mean they’re experts behind the wheel. In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds.

Mercy is working to change that statistic, by offering a free driving course called “Alive at 25.” Developed by the National Safety Council, the four-hour classroom course teaches young drivers to take greater responsibility for their driving by focusing on behavior, judgment and decision making.

Participants will hear how inexperience, distractions and peer pressure can cause driving hazards. Here are some sobering statistics:

Every year almost 11,000 15 to 24 year olds die in motor vehicle crashes.

Drivers in the 15 to 24 age group account for 14 percent of licensed drivers, but 27 percent of all crashes.

The good news is the right tools can help young adults reduce their risk whether they’re the driver or a passenger.

Classes begin in April, with both evening and weekend options. To register for the free course, just go online to www.mercy.net/alive. If you have questions, call 417-820-7233.

Mercy Springfield Communities is comprised of Mercy Hospital Springfield, an 866-bed referral center; an orthopedic hospital; a rehab hospital; a children’s hospital; five regional hospitals in Lebanon, Aurora, Cassville, Mountain View, Missouri and Berryville, Arkansas; and Mercy Clinic, a physician clinic with nearly 700 doctors and locations throughout the region. It is part ofMercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2017 by Truven, an IBM Watson Health company. Mercy serves millions annually and includes 43 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, more than 700 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

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Shorter hospital stays, fewer complications and better patient results are just a few metrics used to rank Mercy as one of the top five large health systems in the nation, alongside Mayo. The 2019 IBM Watson Health 15 Top Health Systems study recognizes five large, five medium and five small systems from 337 health systems and 2,961 hospitals across the U.S.